I'm HungOver Her
by Mac-alicious
Summary: This was not the first time Nate had turned up at Caitlyn's like this, but, if she had anything to say about, it would be the last. Naitlyn, implied Ness, Futurfic.


I'm (Hung)Over Her

**A/N: **This wasn't exactly what I planned and the ending didn't go the way I wanted but here it is. It's a futurefic, so the characters are over 21 (not underage drinking here, but if you don't like that kind of thing don't read). I also know that it's unlikely that after being dumped they would tell a person they loved them, but it's fanfic…Disney fanfic…so that's what happens here. :) And I don't know if it worked out on the main title, but there was meant to be ( ) around the Hung part of the title, So the title is I'm Over Her, but with the little manipulation of Hung-over implies the drunkenness. Anyway, enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CR.

**I'm (Hung)Over Her**

"I just wanna…I just wanna…play my MUSIC!"

Caitlyn looked through the peep hole of her front door. She let out a long sigh as she caught sight of Nate on her front porch. This wasn't the first time he had shown up at her place like this, but, if she had anything to say about it, it would be the last. She leaned her forehead against the door as she prepared herself to let him in. Her moment of peace was interrupted by a loud crash. She pulled open the door as quickly as she could and found Nate in a defensive stance, staring down an overturned plant. As she stepped outside, his head shot up to look at her.

"Caitlyn!" Nate exclaimed, then as an afterthought, "Your plant fell over."

Caitlyn took a deep breath, "Come inside, Nate."

"Okay," Nate smiled and stumbled inside past her.

She made a mental note to clean up the plant in the morning before following Nate inside. She closed and locked the door before she turned back to Nate. He was grinning sloppily and teetering slightly on his feet. Caitlyn let out another sigh, she hated that he did this to her. It was always about his girlfriend, why he did this to himself, and he always came to Caitlyn for help. Because he knew she would help him no matter what. She loved him too much to refuse him.

"You've been drinking, haven't you?" Caitlyn asked, though the answer was a given. She needed him to admit it.

"Why yes I have…" Nate chuckled, "Is it that obvious?"

"You said you were going to stop this…" Caitlyn replied, "Where's Tess? I thought you were supposed to be at dinner with her? Because if you're going to keep doing this, I can't be the one you come to. I can't do this any—"

"She broke up with me," Nate cut her off.

"Oh," Caitlyn bit back the rest of her angry words.

"Yeah, oh," Nate repeated as he started to sit on the arm of her couch and missed, instead falling backwards onto the couch.

Caitlyn moved forward to help him into an upright position. She sat down next to him as he stared at the arm of the couch trying to figure out what had gone wrong. She drew his attention back to her by taking his hand. He turned his head sharply to look at her. She smiled at him softly and he returned it. She felt obligated to help him after his previous revelation. He had begun drinking when the fighting with Tess began. They would get into it, he'd go out and get smashed, and then he would wind up on Caitlyn's doorstep to be looked after. Then in the morning, nursing a hangover and offering a promise that it would never happen again, Nate would thank her and head home to Tess. Caitlyn never knew how to feel when he walked out. She supposed it was her own fault because she kept letting him in, but she couldn't turn him away.

Now that she knew he wouldn't be crawling back to Tess in the morning, taking care of him was justified. He really didn't have anyone else to turn to with Tess out of the picture. Shane had his hands full with Mitchie and the wedding plans and Jason was—well how much of a help could Jason be in this situation really? Caitlyn as the only logical choice. At least that's what she told herself. That was the easiest way that she could hide the happy feeling she got when she realized that she was still the first person he turned to, even in his darkest hour.

Caitlyn gripped his hand tightly, "Tell me what happened."

"I took her to dinner like I was supposed to. I ducked paparazzi while she blatantly posed for the cameras. I didn't even want to go out, but she insist-insisted," Nate slurred slightly on his last word, "I had something important to tell h-her."

"And what was that?" Caitlyn prompted, giving his hand a squeeze as a cue to go on.

"That Connect 3 is un-dis-connecting," Nate frowned, unsure of whether what he had said had come out right or not. "Shane decided that after the wedding he didn't want to record another album or start a new tour. He's ready to set-settle dow-own. Jase and I are on board about breakin' up, and going our own w-ways."

Caitlyn could imagine the look on Tess's face when he told her that. Shock mixed with anger mixed with revulsion. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer, but she had to ask, "And what did Tess have to say about that?"

"She s-said that the only reason she dated me was because of the status that came with being the girlfriend of one of the members of the most famous band of the decade. We got into an arg-arg, a fight about how I should try and talk Shane out of retiring. She said I had to. I said I wouldn't, that it was Shane's dec-dec, choice and that I thought it was the right one," Nate sighed, "You wouldn't break up with me just cause I wasn't gonna be fa-famous anymore, would you?"

Caitlyn watched as Nate's face scrunched up in a yawn. She answered softly, "No Nate, I wouldn't. I don't care about Nate the popstar. I care about Nate my best friend."

She stood up and let Nate lay down. She helped him situate a pillow under his head. As she pulled the blanket off the back of the couch over him, he yawned again. The sight of him curled up on her couch made her want to smile for some unknown reason. His eyes closed and she was about to head back to her own room, when he spoke.

"I love you Caitlyn."

Caitlyn froze. She knew she shouldn't respond, but he had opened up his eyes again and was looking at her expectantly. She swallowed and hoped her voice wasn't too heavy with emotion, "I love you too, Nate. Goodnight."

"Night," Nate murmured back, pulling the blanket tighter around himself.

Caitlyn retreated to her room as soon as his eyes were closed. She closed her door behind her and leaned against it as she tried to remember how to breathe. She knew he could have meant it as completely platonic, but he had never, not once, used those words for her. They had been friends for years and they never said those three words to each other casually as friends. She had good reason—try as hard as she could; she meant those words in a completely different way. She didn't dare to think about why he hadn't. She didn't understand why he had said that right then. It wasn't because he was drunk, she had seen him worse than he was that night. She couldn't figure it out.

And she knew she would obsess about it endlessly.

Caitlyn barely slept that night. After tossing and turning for hours, she finally gave up on sleep at six in the morning. She figured Nate would still be out cold on her couch, so she tried to be quiet as possible as she made coffee and breakfast for them both. She was scooping eggs onto two plates when Nate wandered into the kitchen. He was rubbing his eyes against the sunlight that flooded the room and he sluggishly sat down at the counter. She placed a plate in front of him with a cup of hot coffee. He went for the coffee first and was still sipping on it as she sat down across from him.

"How are you feeling this morning, Nate?" Caitlyn asked, her eyes on her plate as she moved the food around with her fork.

"Like I was run over by our tour bus," Nate responded.

Caitlyn chuckled, "Tess Tyler can have that affect on people when mixed with hard alcohol."

"This is the absolute last time I ever drink, I swear," Nate replied, "I guess with Tess gone, I'll have no reason to."

"Are you going to be okay?" Caitlyn finally looked at him, "Tess is terrible for doing what she's doing to you. You don't deserve it."

"I'll be fine," Nate answered, "Once I get over this headache and suffer through retrieving all my things from her apartment. You know, I can't say I shouldn't have expected this from her. She's Tess Tyler, all she cares about is money and fame."

"But you loved her. You were with her for so long…"

"Honestly, I don't think I ever loved Tess," Nate shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I cared about her. Tess may have her bad qualities, but when we weren't fighting she wasn't that person with me. I liked her a lot, I cared for her deeply…but I can't say I was in love."

"Then why were you with her so long, if you didn't love her?" Caitlyn questioned, "Why did you put yourself through all that? All the fights, the drinking, the coming here to let me clean you up? Hmm? Why would you to that, if you didn't love her?"

"I just don't throw those words around lightly. I won't say them if I don't mean them. I never said it to Tess, she hated that I didn't, but I didn't. She knew…" Nate trailed off. He sighed, "You want to know why I stayed with Tess for so long despite everything? I stayed because she would have me, and I knew the one I wanted probably didn't want me. I sucks that Tess only wanted me because of my celebrity but she wanted me, even when she knew I wanted someone else."

"Who?" Caitlyn squeaked.

"What?" Nate frowned.

"Who was the person you really wanted?" Caitlyn repeated herself.

Nate shook his head, "It's not important."

"I want to know."

Nate hesitated, swallowing hard, "I said something I shouldn't have last night, didn't I?"

"If you mean saying 'I love you' to me, then yes," Caitlyn responded, her voice soft. "But you don't use those words lightly."

"I don't say them if I don't mean them," Nate's eyes found hers. "Last night was no exception."

"Nate," Caitlyn began.

"I'm sorry," Nate interrupted her. "I had gone so long not saying them to you because I was afraid you would realize that I meant them as more than as just friends—"

"Me too!" Caitlyn exclaimed, cutting him off.

"What?"

"I never said I loved you because I was afraid you would realize that I didn't just love you, but that I was _in love_ with you," Caitlyn explained.

"Wow," Nate replied, "We both…"

"Yeah," Caitlyn nodded.

"So…" Nate started.

"Yes?"

Nate took a deep breath, "I guess I should do this right."

Caitlyn watched wide eyed as Nate stood and slowly walked around the counter to stand beside her. He reached out a hand to gently stroke her cheek. His eyes were locked on hers as he leaned closer. Then both of their eyes fluttered closed as he kissed her. It was a soft kiss, barely a brush of lips, but it was enough to cause them both to sigh. Nate rested his forehead against Caitlyn's, his eyes still closed.

"I love you Caitlyn," Nate murmured.

Caitlyn smiled, "I love you too Nate."


End file.
